Chiefs vs. Dolphins: NFL Week 3 Preview, Score Predictions

The Kansas City Chiefs roll into the new week of play with a perfect record, having just defeated the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts in Weeks 1 and 2. To close out the month of September, can head coach Andy Reid and company rise to 3-0 with a triumph over the Miami Dolphins?

Even with how poor Miami's output has been thus far in the young season, going on the road is never an easy feat. As the Dolphins aim to truly usher in the Jeff Hafley era by earning him his first victory as a first-time head coach, there's incentive for the hosts to get the job done.

How might Sunday's game unfold? The Kansas City Chiefs On SI crew makes its predictions for Week 3 of the regular season.

Joshua Brisco: I've resisted the urge to overlook the Dolphins, but if the Chiefs play even an average game, Miami's best shouldn't be enough to steal a win. Of course, the Chiefs still have to execute to their standards. This is the Chiefs' first road game, first noon game (and first non-prime-time game!) of the year, coinciding with Miami's home opener. That's enough weirdness to open the door to a slow start that allows the Dolphins to hang around early.

If Miami does keep this game close enough to pull off the upset, I imagine it would come with a massive game from running back De'Von Achane, who has the game-breaking speed and explosion to change a game on a single snap. Still, I think KC will handle business well enough on both sides of the ball to secure an always-in-control victory.

Jordan Foote: Over the years, we've watched some dominant Chiefs teams get tripped up and play close games against clearly inferior foes. While that always seems to be on the table as long as Reid is around, this year feels different. Kansas City is setting out on a mission to remind the football world it's still great, which is what I expect it to do in this one.

Don't look for a complete shellacking, but the outcome of Week 3 should never really be in doubt. The Chiefs' rushing attack is too potent for the Dolphins to deal with, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is coming off one of the best games of his career. On the defensive side, the KC secondary did show some chinks in its armor against the Colts, although facing a Miami attack minus wideout Caleb Douglas might be just what the doctor ordered to get back on track.

Joshua Schulman: The Chiefs are coming off an overtime victory on Sunday night where a lot of their defensive flaws were exposed. They will look to clean up those mistakes against a Miami team that could struggle to find a win on its schedule for a while. Jeff Hafley appears to be taking the right approach to this rebuild, but he faces an uphill battle with what may be the league's worst pass rush and wide receiver room.

I'm sure the Dolphins are hearing all the noise and want to make a strong impression in their home opener, so I expect them to be a little more amped up for this contest. There's certainly a scenario where the Chiefs' offense gets off to a slow start if it takes Miami lightly, but even that wouldn't be enough for them to overcome the talent gap between these rosters.

Tyler Brown: This one has the makings of a statement win for Kansas City. The Dolphins are in disarray with a quarterback who has already been sacked nine times in two games and an offensive line that is also struggling to create space for one of the league's best running backs.

Malik Willis has shown flashes as a backup in his career, but asking him to go toe-to-toe with this Chiefs defense in a must-win environment for Miami is a tall order. If Steve Spagnuolo's group plays sound, assignment-correct football and contains Achane, the Dolphins have little to do to keep this close.

On the other side of the ball, the matchup couldn't be more favorable for Patrick Mahomes and company. Miami's linebackers were carved up by the 49ers a week ago, and Travis Kelce and Kenneth Walker are at least as dangerous in the intermediate passing game as George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.

The Chiefs should be able to move the ball at will, and if the run game stays efficient, this could be two weeks in a row of an offense that starts to look like the dominant unit it was built to be.

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